The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1887-06-09
EAo1s ABOUT SHARKS.



There are not many ways OF destroy
ING the dreaded sea.tiger Toharpoon
Il requires 4 practiced eye and d cum
ming hand. The vessel, moreover.
should be motionless, and the shark
moving within reach Of the harpoon-
er's muscle. The lump of beef or pork,
the large hook connected by chain to
the line, the adroit paying out of the
bail-thisis the old.fashioned device
by means 81 whieli iiians thousands 81
| the sailors enemy have been eaugltti
and then returned to the deep in frag-
ments, TO serve as food for other
sharks. But this method of fishing is
not sure, The creature often escapes
after gorging the hook, 10 make his
destruction certain, the sailors some
times blow him up
On the nth of July, while nm Eng
lislI ship was lying off Port Natal sew
eral huge sharks, some Of them MORO
than fifteen feet in length, were seen
sweeping under the vessels counter
and along her sides. Ahook was baited
and thrown overheard, and was imme-
diately swallowed by one Of the biggest
of the fish. which quietly cut the line
with its teeth. taking no further notice
Of it, Then the breast of u buck was
weighted, that IL itight sink and in
side Of Ii there was placed q charge Of
gun-cotton, aud the whole connected
by wire with an electric battery. No
sooner had the vcnison touched the
water than the shark made straight for
IL, but just rs he opened his mouth to
swallow the bait, the charge was eN-
plodcd, aud the jaws were completely
shattered. The monster turned on rs
back, and sunk in the bay.
Fl The shark family is Large one. and
!, most 81 the specifies ere hideo,!sly ugly,
A few have kind Of fierce beauty
, about their shapes. Such is the fin
. tail, whose color is cinerous, strcaked
, in some parts with rcd and dotted with
. stttall black spots. Such. too, is the sea.
fox. as it used TO be called. found In
Q the Mediterranean. and remarkable fol
: the great length and fine proportions
Of its tail. the body being about sever
q feet. and the tail six feet long. Blu
, the horror Of the deep is the whit,
/. shark, which is often thirty feet loni
!. and weighs four thousand pounds. !
! has mouth furnished with q siNfolt
!, row Of teeth. fat. triangular and iinel,
1 serratod. When this shark is ina stat
J. of reposc these dreadful teeth lie Nat II
+ the mouth. but when it sci1cs is prey
they rise like the falled growth o
!, deadly weapons from the soil
. It is not surprising that out OF thi
mercilcss companion Of the marine
IS many quaint snperstitions should hay
d risen. For ages the seamcn have We've
the shark M creature Of ili-omer
They believed that il could scent vie
Tim even though he should be perfect
well, and without suspicion of his deaf
being close at hand; and that II woul
H fellow ship that had dead body
her for leagues and leagues. In &c.
Ion there are people who believe
shark-charmcrs, called Kudal or lin
NAL, which signifies "sca-bindets.
These magicians are employed by pear
divers 10 protect them while und'
water. There is head wizard. pc
stoned by the Government to who
every boat gives ten oysters dail
Among certain tribes in the South Sc
the shark used TO be worshipcd und
the title Of Joujou. Its votarics sae
y feed rabbits 10 il; bat knowing its I.
y petite. once year they bound u chill
Il ten years Of age, and decorated wi
4 flowers, to post on the beach. at Il
y tide. and then left 1t to be dcvomred
,Jouiou. L Youths Companion.